


When We Were Young number one: Inspector Ja Vert

by Ileesha25



Series: When We Were Young: Le Mis characters’ unpredictable pasts [1]
Category: Le Miserables
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-29
Updated: 2019-11-29
Packaged: 2021-02-26 21:48:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 850
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21606007
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ileesha25/pseuds/Ileesha25
Summary: Ja Vert’s past (as I interpret it) is revealed here. This is the story of why Ja Vert is the way he is. Because, as unlikely as it may sound, there was a time when Ja Vert wasn’t quite as intent on following and making sure others follow the laws.
Series: When We Were Young: Le Mis characters’ unpredictable pasts [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1557187
Comments: 1
Kudos: 2





	When We Were Young number one: Inspector Ja Vert

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first in a series I am making called When We Were Young: Le Mis characters’ unpredictable pasts. Hope you like it and please stay tuned for the others! I think you will find it interesting what I imagine these characters’ stories came from.  
> Thanks!

Chapter One: Stars  
In France, through a dark alleyway, at 1:00 in the morning, Ja Vert stands on the grimy stone bridge that has known such sorrow. He is finally here. He did it. All those years, since he had first seen that man swipe a loaf of bread from the baker. Since that baker had struck up the cry: “THIEF! THIEF! THIEF!”, and none other than Ja Vert had answered it. Ja Vert had grabbed that man, locked him away, labeled him: ‘24601’ with the others. All the other men and women, who had broken the law, in that prison, burning their skin each day with the ropes Ja Vert had forced them to pull through those harsh, salty waters. But 24601 had been different. This man had spoken up. Told Ja Vert his name. That name which Ja Vert would never forget. The name Jean Val Jean. Then Jean Val Jean had escaped, been locked up, escaped again. And each time, Ja Vert had obsessively hunted him down, and just an hour earlier, Ja Vert got him. The mayor was Jean Val Jean. This had become clear. And Jean Val Jean had agreed to be jailed again after......what had that man said. After, after he saved a child. Suddenly, Ja Vert could not bare it. ‘Jean Val Jean is saving someone’ Ja Vert thought. ‘And what have I done. I’ve made him and a thousand others suffer. And why.’ But that question was too harsh for Ja Vert, Becca deep down, he knew the answer, his past. His secret old self. But he could never, would never, bare to think of it again.  
Chapter Two: Mother and father  
The year was 1722. Ja Vert was three. It was his birthday. He ran energetically around that gilded Parisian living room. Over the soft red carpet and past the golden-framed oil paintings. Around and around, giggling. The memory was faded. He was running and giggling, and eating the little cakes off the silver platter that been put out. Then his mother, yes, it was her, she had bent down and scooped him up, and she was laughing too, in her long, white silk gown.  
The memory faded away completely. Snapped, cruelly, like a rubber band.  
And then a new one came on.  
Chapter three: Shock and Screams  
The year was 1724. Ja Vert was five. The same gilded living room. Hard, harsh voices. Little Ja Vert was sitting on a couch, crying. The voices came back, one female, one male. “Don’t we already have enough?.” “It’s never enough.” “Last time, you said that we were doing this for a building, for a nice life. Well we have that now. I helped you. We nabbed the loot. Now we’ve got that fine old inn and food in the plenty.” “Madame, you can do as I say and break the window or you can lose. It. All.” Gasps. Heated whispering. Shattering glass. Familiar voices. That of his father and mother’s. Screams. “What are you doing?” That was his mother. “Get OUT! OUT! OUT!” Still his mother’s. The crack of a gun. His father screamed. Little Ja Vert couldn’t see anything, didn’t know where they were. Was just helpless to the horrible happenings. The terrifying sounds. His mother shrieked. More glass breaking. The harsh female voice came again, but this time more fearful than harsh . “I’m not doing this! I’m not doing this! Thénardier, this is too far!” The harsh male voice responded. “Look. Help. Me. Or. Be. The. One. With. A. Musket. In. Your. Face.” Another gunshot. His mother moaned. Then all was quiet. The thieves left.  
Chapter three: Hardened  
The year was 1735. Ja Vert was 13. He was now in an orphanage. The teacher stood in front of them all, talking about arithmetic. “Class dismissed!” He barked. “Everyone:Go to dinner. Ja Vert, see me at my desk.” Ja Vert cringed. This couldn’t be good. He walked up the teacher’s desk. “I know what happened to your family.” The teacher said. “I know you don’t like it here.” The old teacher stared at Ja Vert. “But there’s a place....you..can go where.......” the teacher paused, clutched his hands behind his back and looked out the window, before turning around and returning to coldly staring at Ja Vert. The teacher continued. “Where you...can punish those who disobey the law. Such as your parents’ murderers did.” Ja Vert’s whole face lit up. “That’s right, m’boy. You can join the police.”  
Chapter four: Stars  
Ja Vert, a full grown man now, stood on the bridge, above the same icy cold waves that he’d forced prisoners to suffer from. And thought. He realized that he was wrong. That two wrongs did not make a right. That not every single person who broke the law was anywhere near as horrid as his parents’ murderers were. But he’d been lost as a little sixteen year old. And he’d followed this law-enforcing path his whole life. He was in too deep. He couldn’t change. He couldn’t do anything now. And feebly, he jumped.


End file.
